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05-03-2010, 09:13 AM
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20091023/w5_brokenvows_091024/20091024?hub=WFive
Lainie Towell had the kind of wedding any bride would envy. A handsome, charismatic groom, an exotic location, and hundreds of people dancing in the streets. Little did she know the love of her life was really only interested in her for her Canadian citizenship.
Towell met her future husband, Fode Mohamed Soumah, when she traveled to Guinea West Africa in 2004 to study choreography. He was a drummer in a band and they seemed to have an immediate connection. "We spent a lot of time together and we became very close and we became romantically involved," said Towell.
Three more trips followed and in 2007 Lainie and Soumah -- known as Akra to his friends -- were married in a spectacular ceremony that culminated in 300 guests dancing and drumming in the streets. "I was the happiest woman alive."
But that marital bliss wouldn't last long. Ten days after the couple returned to Towell's hometown of Ottawa she caught Akra writing an email back to Guinea. She was shocked to see the man of her dreams was writing about a baby that he had fathered while they were engaged. Confronting Akra about his duplicity, led to an admission that, in fact, he was the father.
A few days later, Akra disappeared. After a frantic search, Towell finally reached her husband on his cell phone. "He said to me he never loved me. He told me that he could go on welfare and that I was responsible for paying back the government."
Towell's dreams were shattered and she realized that, as his sponsor, she would indeed be responsible for him for three years, until he could apply for Canadian citizenship.
Lainie Towell had the kind of wedding any bride would envy. A handsome, charismatic groom, an exotic location, and hundreds of people dancing in the streets. Little did she know the love of her life was really only interested in her for her Canadian citizenship.
Towell met her future husband, Fode Mohamed Soumah, when she traveled to Guinea West Africa in 2004 to study choreography. He was a drummer in a band and they seemed to have an immediate connection. "We spent a lot of time together and we became very close and we became romantically involved," said Towell.
Three more trips followed and in 2007 Lainie and Soumah -- known as Akra to his friends -- were married in a spectacular ceremony that culminated in 300 guests dancing and drumming in the streets. "I was the happiest woman alive."
But that marital bliss wouldn't last long. Ten days after the couple returned to Towell's hometown of Ottawa she caught Akra writing an email back to Guinea. She was shocked to see the man of her dreams was writing about a baby that he had fathered while they were engaged. Confronting Akra about his duplicity, led to an admission that, in fact, he was the father.
A few days later, Akra disappeared. After a frantic search, Towell finally reached her husband on his cell phone. "He said to me he never loved me. He told me that he could go on welfare and that I was responsible for paying back the government."
Towell's dreams were shattered and she realized that, as his sponsor, she would indeed be responsible for him for three years, until he could apply for Canadian citizenship.